stan culture

In the early 2010s something magical happened when artists like Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and bands like One Direction broke through at the same time social media was just starting to pop off. This new accessibility, and oversaturation of artists that social media provided gave fans a place to connect with other fans of the same artists. As these small online communities have grown over the past decade, they have become a really cool place to meet people who have the same similar interests as you. But it can also get really toxic, really fast. A whole other fan subculture emerged that ran much deeper than just listening to an album, wearing a t shirt, or attending a few concerts. The most dedicated fans call themselves “stans”, and stan culture often sucks all of the fun out of places originally built for enjoyment. It pits fandoms against fandoms, and sometimes creates friction within a singular fandom.